The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing dough, and in particular, for automatically docking rimmed pizza dough.
Dough processing equipment is well known. For example, there are a number of devices for dividing a large batch of dough into smaller dough pieces, commonly referred to as dough dividers. Also, there are a number of available devices for accepting small masses of dough and partially forming these masses into balls. These devices are also commonly referred to as rounders. In addition, combinations of dividers and rounders into a single machine are known wherein a large mass of dough is placed into the device and a round dough ball is provided as an output.
Other devices are known for processing dough, for example, for taking dough balls and pressing them into flattened dough pieces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,524 discloses such an apparatus. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,833, assigned to the assignee herein, discloses such a dough processing and shaping device with a heating element operable in an automated process that takes place without human intervention.